Is Austerity Gendered?

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Austerity has dominated the policy agenda for the past decade. Governments responded to the sovereign debt crisis created by the 2008 financial crash by slashing public expenditure. These cutbacks have had devastating effects on people’s lives and well-being – and some groups have suffered more than others. In this incisive analysis, Diane Perrons shows that the dynamics of austerity have played out in highly gendered ways: budget cuts have been overwhelmingly aimed at services that support women. She shows how the gender aspects of this economic and social catastrophe have intersected with a range of other factors, ranging from social class, race, and ethnicity, to citizenship status, dis(ability) and geographical location. This has made the experience of austerity very different for different groups – and highly unjust. She goes on to critique the justifications for austerity policies and ask whether there are compelling alternatives. This compelling book will be essential reading for activists, policymakers and students of feminist political economy everywhere.